Toying With Innocence
by 0Spirit of Death0
Summary: Someones has been kidnapped, and someone has to do a dangers rescue to try and save her, but will he be to late.
1. Chapter 1

Toying With Innocence

A/N: This is my first work...so please review. Oh and I would like to say thank you to my betas for there help. (they are Laura Thai, Lydia, and Reiver Vicious...Thanks guys .)

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, Kagome, or any other characters from the Inuyasha series or manga. They are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 1

She struggled against him the best she could, though his strength was much greater then hers. She was starting to feel very dizzy as she tried her hardest to remove his hand from her frail throat. As she started to black out, she heard him say in an evil laced voice, "I'm going to have my way with you whether you like it or not. And when I'm done with you none of your friends are going to come near you, for you will be a dirty, demon-tainted, bitch." But as she was consumed by the darkness, her thoughts wandered in search of an explanation as to why this was happening to her.

Flashback to two days earlier

"Come on Kagome, the jewel shards aren't going to find themselves, you know!" Inuyasha yelled over his shoulder at Kagome, who was sitting on her bed packing her already over stuffed bag with the things she would need in the Sengoku Jidai.

Kagome shot him a warning glare and said "Is that all I am to you, just a jewel detector?!"

At the look in her eyes Inuyasha started to back off and let her finish packing her bag. 'It's too early to have her sitting me already' he thought as he sat down on the floor to sulk and mentally wished that she would hurry up. But at that moment he caught the smell of salt water and looked up to see that Kagome was trying to wipe away the tears in her eyes before he noticed. "Hey Kagome, why are you crying? I am sorry if I upset you."

Inuyasha hated it when Kagome cried, he always felt like it was his fault. And he knew that a lot of the time it was his fault. He walked over to Kagome and sat down beside her. She looked up at him; lingering tears still glistening in her eyes, threatening to spill down her face at any second. She thought for a moment, trying to find the right words to express the way she was feeling but as she did she began to cry once more. Inuyasha was so at a lost for words from this that he just out of instinct pulled Kagome into a hug to try and console her. Kagome did not resist when Inuyasha did this, she just continued to cry. As her tears subsided she pulled away from him. "Look, I am sorry about that, but I am just so worried about everything. It feels like we are going nowhere and that Naraku is starting to win."

"Kagome don't worry Naraku will not win this…We won't let him." Inuyasha said. 'I can't let him win; I have too much to lose now if Naraku won.' He hugged Kagome closer to him as if Naraku were there trying to take her from him at that moment.

Kagome looked up at him and hugged him back, "Thank you for helping me. I don't know what I would do with out you." She felt so much safer when she was with Inuyasha and she wished she could get up the courage to tell him how she truly felt about him.

"Kagome…I…well maybe I can show you better than I can say it." He looked at her and leaned over and kissed her lightly on the lips. She was slightly surprised by Inuyasha's actions but when she looked up into his eyes all she could see was love radiating back at her.

"Inuyasha, are you trying to tell me what I think you are?"

He reassured him self by the look in her eyes, "Yes, Kagome I'm telling you that I love you."

Kagome smiled and hugged Inuyasha tightly as she said, "I love you too." When he heard her say that to him, he felt like he was going to overflow with joy.

"Kagome," He pulled back from their hug, "As much as I would love to stay here, we have to get back." She sighed in agreement.

"Just let me finish packing my bag, ok." He nodded his head that he would.

When she was done Inuyasha grabbed her bag for her and they walked to the well. As they came out on the other side in to Inuyasha's time, Kagome was tackled by the over happy Shippo. "Kagome, you're back! Did you bring me any thing?" As he finished his question Inuyasha hit Shippo over the head.

"You need to learn to not be so expecting, kid."

"You're not one to talk about that." Kagome shot at Inuyasha, "Oh and before I forget. SIT!"

Shippo pointed and laughed at Inuyasha as he hit the ground face first. "You're going to pay for laughing at that, you little squirt!" Growled Inuyasha into the ground. And at that Shippo jumped out of Kagome's arms and ran back to Kaede's village to hide before Inuyasha could get a hold of him again.

"Now why in hell did you do that for!" yelled Inuyasha

Kagome turned around to look at him and said, "You should know better then to hit Shippo, by now." She said to him and turned to walk to the village to meet up with the rest of the group, but before she left she said, "I'll make it up to you later for that." And throw him a wink, then left.

End of Flashback

The girl slowly started to regain consciousness. As she did she, realized that she was lying on a cold and damp floor of a very dark room with her hands tied to something over her head. Her clothes were a mess, bloodied and ripped, but still intact. All she could think about were the words her captor had said to her as she had passed out earlier, but she was determined not to let him know how much it had bothered her.

"So, you're awake." He said so coolly that his voice almost totally unnerved her.

He slowly moved out of the doorway where he had been standing. He walked over to where she was laying on the floor, becoming ever so intoxicated off the smell of fear that was radiating off the girl. He stopped by were her feet where. At that moment all the things he wanted to do to her were running through his head like an over flowing river. He walked around to her side and knelt down by her as she tried to sit up and move away from him at the same time. But he placed his hand on her leg so that she could not move away from him. He leaned his head down towards hers, but as he got closer to her she spit up in to his face. "Don't you touch me, Naraku!"

"You would have been better off letting if you had not just done that, because now I'm going to make you wish you had never come through that well of yours."

Kagome looked up at Naraku in surprise, "You know about the well?" Kagome was in shock, 'Shit if he knows about the well, what other secrets of ours does he know? Does he know Inuyasha's secret?'

While Kagome was caught off guard be this new info, Naraku forcefully captured her lips with his own. "Of course I know about the well you stupid little Miko." He told her as he broke off his forced kiss.

Kagome inwardly cringed at the way Naraku had just violated her. She wished that Inuyasha would come and save her soon, before Naraku could carry out what he had planned for her. Next thing she knew Naraku was kissing her again only this time he had moved so that she was unable to break the kiss. Kagome tried, in a futile attempt, to throw him off of her. Naraku's response to her actions was to grab both of her breasts and gave them squeezed them, making sure that his claws stabbed into them as he did. This made Kagome scream out in pain and her in her mind 'INUYASHA, HELP ME, PLEASE!'


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: The same, I dont own Inuyasha or any of the others...and never will. T.T

A/N: Please review, and to my Betas Reiver Vicious and Laura, Thank you.

Chapter 2

Flashback

The Inu-group was heading towards a jewel shard that Kagome had sensed. Kagome was riding on Inuyasha's back as he jumped from tree to tree. Not too far from them was Kirara carrying Sango, Miroku, and Shippo on her back.

"Inuyasha, the jewel shard is just up a head," Kagome yelled down to him. She then grabbed an arrow and readied her bow for when they reached the shard.

Inuyasha landed on the ground at the edge of a clearing and Kagome jumped down from his back. They both started to look over to where Sango and the others had landed, but their gaze ended up following the path of Sango's Hiraikotsu as it flew by. "Watch out, guys!" Sango yelled at the two of them.

Inuyasha wasted no time in turning around to face the demon and unsheathed Tetsusaiga. The demon was standing near the middle of the clearing with an amused look in her eyes after she had dodged Sango's attack. The demon was at lest 7 feet tall and looked very human except for the half bat like, half bird like wings that were on her back. She was holding a pair of long daggers in front of herself.

Inuyasha looked over at Kagome, who had her bow drawn and was aiming it at the demon. She also looked at Inuyasha and gave him a nod before he ran at the demon, slashing his sword at her. She brought up her daggers and blocked his attack. "Is that all you've got, Inuyasha?" she said with her very smooth voice, dripping with mockery.

Inuyasha growled out his reply. "You haven't seen anything yet, bitch!" As he said that, he jumped back and sent the Kaze no Kizu at her. Only half of it made it through her barrier. She let out a yell of pain before she glared up at Inuyasha. "Now you're dead!" She yelled as she ran towards him, but was stopped up by a few sutras, but only for a moment as more pain coursed through her body. She quickly recovered and rushed forward at Inuyasha again. As they met the sound of clashing metal filled the clearing.

Kagome was aiming her arrow and about to shoot when she heard a sound in the bushes behind her. She started to turn and look, but was grabbed by a very rough pair of hands; one was around her waist and the other over her mouth. She tried to yell but it was impossible because of the hand. She was pulled back into the bushes kicking and punching. Then, she heard an all too familiar voice in her ear. "You're mine now!"

She managed to momentarily ripped his hand from her mouth and screamed. "Help me! Someone!"

"You little bitch!" Naraku snarled at her before hitting her with a reeling blow to the side of her head, knocking her out. The rest of the group spun around to see Naraku disappearing into a dark cloud, holding an unconscious Kagome to him.

"Naraku! Let her go!" Inuyasha yelled as he ran at him but was hit from behind by the other demon.

"You're not go…" she was starting to say, but was cut off as Sango's Hiraikotsu cut through her middle. She died instantly and then turned into a pile of ashes. Sitting in the middle of the pile was the jewel shard, which Miroku went over to and picked up. "I will hold on to this till we get Kagome back."

Inuyasha slowly started to stand up and as he was doing so he said, "We have to go and get her back, now!"

"Yes, we know that, Inuyasha," Sango replied as Inuyasha sent a nervous look to the sky. The others looked up at the sky to see that the sun was almost down. "This day just keeps getting better and better," Inuyasha said sarcastically. He was frowning as he tried to find Naraku's scent. He caught it and started to run in the direction it was coming from.

The others were confused as they looked at each other, and then remembered that, that night was the night of the new moon. Kirara turned into her larger form as Sango, Miroku, and Shippo jumped up onto her back. "Is Inuyasha really going to go against Naraku while he's in his human form?" Shippo asked the others.

"I think he's going to try. He won't let the bastard keep Kagome for long, even if it means doing so in his human form," Miroku answered. "And we will be there to help him." A few moments later they had caught up to Inuyasha just in time to see his transformation complete itself. Shippo jumped down form Kirara and turned himself into his balloon looking form. "Inuyasha, climb on. If we all fly, then we will get to Kagome faster."

Inuyasha sighed, not feeling like arguing and he knew that Shippo was right. The group was soon flying over the forest again and had spotted Naraku's castle in the distance. Miroku shot a quick glance at Inuyasha. "Are you sure you don't want to wait till morning to do this?"

"I'm very sure, Miroku," He said in a quiet voice. A few moments later, his eyes shot open with fear. The others looked at him as he yelled. "We have to get there now, before it's too late!"

"Inuyasha, what did you see?" asked Miroku, knowing from the look in Inuyasha's eye and the way he was acting that he had just had a vision.

"I saw…Naraku…and he was hurting Kagome…I think if we don't get there soon, he might kill her," he stammered in reply.

Several moments later they were landing in front of Naraku's castle.

Inside

Kagome struggled to throw Naraku off of her as he ripped his claws out of her. He laughed as she yelled out in pain again. "That's only just the beginning of the pain you are going to feel, my dear."

She glared at him as he got up. "But we will finish this later. Right now we have to go and welcome your troublesome friends," he told her as he unlocked the chain from the wall and hauled her to her feet roughly.

A/N: I know that this chapters a little short and a little slow...but I promise next chapter will have more action. .


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't and want ever own them T.T

A/N: Thank you to my Betas, Reiver Vicious and Laura

**Chapter 3**

Naraku dragged Kagome out of the castle, and into the courtyard were a very pissed off human Inuyasha stood in his human form, with the others. Kagome looked at him as Naraku pulled her to the side of the castle. "Help…please." she whispered to him. Naraku locked the chain that held her arms to a bolt on the wall.

"Let her go!" Inuyasha yelled as draw Tetsusaiga, which remained useless were it wouldn't transform because he was in his human form.

Naraku just laughed. "And what do you plan to do Inuyasha? You don't have a chance against me as a human with nothing but a rusty sword to fight me with." He then lunged at Inuyasha with his own sword, which Inuyasha just barely managed to block the attack with the dull blade of the Tetsusaiga.

As Sango and Miroku tried to step in and help but were cut off by a demon puppet. Shippo managed to slip by undetected and headed for Kagome. He climbed up to where her chains were locked to the wall, but just as he was about to reach them Naraku spotted him. "Good try…But not good enough!" Naraku said with a laugh as sent a group of his tentacles at the kitsane.

"Shippo!" cried out Kagome as Shippo fell to the ground, badly wounded. Tears running down her face, she turned back to look at Naraku. "You bastard! How dare you!" she screamed at him.

Naraku ignored her as he turned his attention back to Inuyasha, who was starting to tire from the fight, and his wounds were not helping any. Inuyasha was starting to get careless as he attacked, wanting to get the fight over as soon as he could. As they fought Naraku stabbed Inuyasha, when he had left himself open in a desperate attack. Inuyasha's eyes went wide with both shock and pain. Naraku pulled his sword out of him and, he gave a sinister laughed as Inuyasha fell to the ground. Miroku and Sango, who had finished off the demon puppet just moments before, caught him before he hit the ground. Kagome watched in horror, slowly she fell to her knee's screaming. "NO! Inuyasha…no, please…please…get…u…up…" she trailed off as she started to cry. Sobs shook her body as the laughing Naraku walked over to her. He was holding a bottle that seemed to appear out of thin air.

Miroku stood up and looked at Inuyasha and Sango as Inuyasha rasped out. "Please Miroku…save Kagome."

"I will, don't worry," Miroku replied. He then looked at Sango. "Do what you can to help him. Its still a long time before the sun comes back up."

"Already working on it." Sango said as she was ripped up some old cloths into pieces for bandages for dressing Inuyasha's wounds.

Miroku headed towards Naraku, who had his back turned to him as he tried to force the potion that was in the bottle down Kagome's throat. Kagome did her best to fight back, but the effects of shook had started to set in. After a moment he easily got the bottle to her mouth.

He started to pour the liquid into her mouth when Miroku forcefully placed the end of his stuff to Naraku's neck. "Let her go!" he said, "Or I will have no choice but to use my Kazana on you."

Naraku just shook his head as he smile a crocked grin back at Miroku. "Your already to late, Monk!" He waved the empty bottle at him.

"What the hell was in that?!" Miroku yelled alarmed as he grabbed Naraku around the neck and pulled him up, so that he was facing him.

"It's just a little potion," Miroku threw Naraku away from him and unleashed his Kazana. "I'm not that easy to get rid of." And at that Naraku disappeared into a dark, swirling cloud before the Kazana could take its effect on him. Miroku cursed under his breath as he closed off his' Kazana before going over to Kagome, who had pulled herself in to a ball on the ground as she cried out of the shock of what she had see. Miroku managed to break the chains that held her wrists; then helped her to stand up. As he did so, he noticed a change in her aura, but he couldn't quite tell what it was.

Sango walked over to them. "I did what I could for Inuyasha, but he's lost a lot of blood," She then turned to Kagome with even more concern. "Are you ok?"

"I will be soon." She replied, as she pulled away from Miroku and staggered towards Inuyasha, tears still running down her face. She fell to her knees beside him and her tears fell into her lap. "Inuyasha….please, wake up!" She placed her hands on his chest. As she did, it felt as though a shock run through her body.

Sango looked shocked for a moment when she looked over at Inuyasha and Kagome. "Miroku, why are they glowing?!"

"I don't know." he replied as he walked towards them and as he reached out to Kagome, but he reserved a shock that run up his arm. "There seems to be a barrier around them." He then noticed, again, that there was something different about Kagome's aura, but this time he noticed that it seem Inuyasha's was slowly changing as well. 'Why is that happing?' he wandered.

In Kagome's dream

Kagome found herself standing alone in the middle of a big field, the wind was blowing. She looked down and saw that she was wearing a white sundress but there were patches of blood all over it. She went to touch one of the spots of blood, as she did; she noticed that her hands were covered in blood as well. She brought her hands up in front of her face and as she looked at them the nails slowly lengthened and turned into claws. She let her hands drop to her sides in shock, and then panic set in. Thinking that she might have hurt someone, she started to look around her. At first there was nothing there but as she moved she started to see her friends lying on the ground. Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara were all dead. She stumbled away from them when she saw the gashes that covered their bodies, or what was left of them any way. She sunk to the ground crying, when she heard a voice behind her. "So you killed them and now you cry over it." She started to shake all over as she recognized the voice. "You make me sick…and to think I cared about you."

She turned around slowly. "Inuyasha, I swear…"

"Shut up. I don't want to hear any more of your lies!" he said as he glared at her. He was holding one of his arms as it bleeds from a huge gash. Kagome slowly stood and went to walk to him, but he held up a hand. "Don't come near me!" He growled at her.

"I'm so sorry." She said as she cried

He continued to glare. "I said no more lies!"

She again walked towards him ignoring his warnings. "Inuyasha, I didn't do this. I…" She was cut off as he slashed at her but when he was going to cut her down, then everything just faded to black.

Back to reality

Kagome woke up sometime later, and felt very odd but ignored it for the moment as she looked around noticing that the sun was just up over the tops of the trees. She looked around some more as she stood, but stopped when she saw Inuyasha. "What the…?!" She stammered out of shock that he was still human. Sango and Miroku were by her side in a second. She turned to them. "What happened? Why hasn't here turned back to normal yet?!"

"Well we really aren't sure yet but we now that what ever the reason, it effected you as well," Sango told her as she handed her a mirror. "We do have a good idea that it was caused by the potion Naraku forced on you." Kagome looked into the mirror and nearly dropped it when she saw her reflection. She looked more closely this time and saw that her hair changed to a light red colour with white streaks through out it, she also now had a pair of reddish dog eyes on her head. She also noticed that her eyes had changed to a fiery orange and there were two small jagged red streaks on her face. She handed the mirror back to Sango and as she did so, she saw that like in her dream, he nails head turned in to claws. Her mind raced as she tried to figure out what was going on.

She walked over to Inuyasha, to see that blood was starting to seep through his bandages. She knelt down by him and her hands started to glow a light purple colour as she set them on him. The glow slowly seeped over all of his body and then his wounds started to heal. After a few moments Kagome stood and stepped back to reveal that his wounds were completely healed.

In Inuyasha's dream

He felt a searing pain running through him as he lay on the ground. He soon opened his eyes when he heard foot steps coming towards him. He forced himself to sit up and look to see who it was. He jumped to his feet when he saw the scene before him. Kagome was lying on the ground bleeding and crying in pain. Sango was holding Miroku to her, even though it was obvious he was already dead. Then he saw that the foot steps had belonged to Naraku. He growled. "What the fuck have you done!?"

Naraku just laughed in reply then charged at him. Inuyasha went to use Tetsusaiga, but found it was not there. 'Where the hell did it go?!' he thought as he quickly looked around as he dodge Naraku's attacks. It wasn't long before he was on the ground again, bleeding. Naraku held him there with his foot on his chest.

"Finally I will have you out of my way." Naraku said to him as he raised his sword to finish him, but Naraku failed to notice that Inuyasha was changing into his full demon form.

Inuyasha threw Naraku off of him and slashed at his chest. Naraku just dodge the attack then disappeared into the trees near by. Inuyasha went to go after him but stopped as he caught the sound of crying again. As he realized that it was Kagome, this pulled him back to his normal self. He ran over to her and pulled her to him. "Kagome, I'm sorry," he said as he looked at how badly she was hurt. He hugged her to him as he tried not to cry…but his eyes shot open as a knife was stubbed into his stomach. "What…?!" he said as he looked down and saw that it was Naraku he was holding and as he started to fall to the ground he saw that Kagome was lying dead not far from Sango. "Kagome…" he trialed off as darkness took him.

Back to reality

Inuyasha slowly opened his eyes, and started to sit up, bringing a hand to his head. "Fuck, I feel like shit." Then it hit him why he felt like this. "Kagome!?" he said as he looked around quickly, making his head swim as he did.

"I'm ok." Kagome said. Inuyasha got up and looked at her, shocked at the change in her looks.

"Kagome…is that really you. What the hell happened to you?" He looked down as he tried to process all of this, as he did; he saw strands of black hair fell in front of him. "What the hell?!"

Miroku explain to Inuyasha what had happened after he had passed out. Inuyasha was far from pleased from what he learned.

"Naraku…you have crossed too far over the line this time!" Inuyasha said through gritted teeth.


	4. Chapter 4

Toying With Innocence

Disclaimer: I don't and want ever own them T.T

A/N: Thank you to my Betas, Reiver Vicious, Laura and Georgina. I know it's been a long break since the last update, but here it is. Please review!

Chapter 4

Naraku laughed from his perch on the edge of the cliff, the trees were motionless around him as he watches Inuyasha and the others. Chuckling to himself, as he thought about the way they would soon be running around, trying to save the now unstable, half-demon Kagome and revert those powers back to Inuyasha, so that he wouldn't have to be a human any longer. He watched all of this through the never blinking, always watchful eye that was Kanna's mirror. "This is working out better than planned." He said to her with a smug smile gracing his lips, or what could be seen of them from under the baboon skull on his head.

Kanna just stood there, looking at him with her emotionless eyes; she clutched the curved edges of her mirror tightly as the image faded into itself.

"You may go now."

She nodded her reply before turning and walking off into the dense forest that was behind them.

A few days later

Everyone was sitting around the fire in Kaede's hut. The silence was stifling as they ate. Only moments before, Kaede had explained to them that if Kagome did not learn to keep her newly gained demon powers in check, she would die, due to the opposing nature of her miko energy to that of her newly gained power. Kagome sat picking at the food in her bowl with a pair of chopsticks, she held them painfully tight in her hand, while she milled over this new information. 'Why did this have to happen? I've barely starting to understand how to control my miko powers, how will I ever make this work!' The others shot worried glances at her every so often. Not sure if they would be able to keep her from turning full demon if they ended up in a fight.

After the meal they started to throw ideas around, everything from sending her home to locking her up somewhere. But, all conversation stopped abruptly when Inuyasha spoke up for the first time that day.

"I could let her use Tetsusaiga," he said, turned his eyes to avoid the gazes of the others as they realised what he was offering. "Well, it did keep my demon powers in check…so it could do the same for her," he said hurriedly as everyone continued to eye him with shocked expressions. Sango and Kagome glanced at each other and shrugged, each as confused as the other on why Inuyasha would so willingly give up his sword. He peeked at them through the corner of his eye, and then glared as he saw they were still muttering over his offer.

After a bit, the shock wore off and everyone turned into bed for the night. But several hours later Inuyasha awoke to a small muffled, sniffling sound. He sat still for a moment as he listened to see if any of the others had awoken to the sound as well.Peering through the swirling darkness, it appeared that he was the only one. Only moments later he saw a figure rise and cautiously work its way over the other sleepers to the doorway of the hut. He slowly stood up and looked tohis sleeping comrades, noting that no one else had stirred. Then walking towards the door, he stifled a curse when he nearly stepped on Shippo's sprawled, sleeping form. He walked outside into the light of the waning moon. The trees around the hut swayed, as though dancing to music only they could hear. He looked up and saw Kagome standing on the hill. A light breeze had blown the hair away from her face as she looked to the sky. The hem of her new sky blue kimono was fluttering around her ankles.Inuyasha's eyes caught on the movement for a long time, admiring how the cloth hugged her curves. He thought to himself how lovely she looked all a glow in the moonlight. As he moved closer, he could see tears gleaming on her uplifted cheeks, right before she wiped them away. He cursed his forced human senses, leaving him unable to do more than see her tears or hear her crying earlier.

"What do you want Inuyasha?" her tired and anxious voice intoned.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay. I heard you crying before you left the hut." He looked at the ground between them, devoid of light as her shadow covered the area. A half hearted smile crossing her lips, though he could tell as his eyes shifter to peer at her face, that a true smile was just not in her. Her eyes still glistened with unshed tears, which threatened to run down her cheeks. He had to force himself to keep from frowning at the fact that she so upset.

"Don't worry, it was nothing, really," but it sounded more like she was trying to convince herself more than him.

"It must be something, or you wouldn't be out here crying," he looked up at her as he moved closer.Uncharacteristic kindness grazed the edge of his voice when he said, "Please, tell me what's wrong, or I can't help," he seemed so unsure of himself.

"Inuyasha…" she whispered as she tried to hold back tears. After a small pause she found herself. "I'm just worried that's all. I'm worried I won't be able to handle whatever's coming," She watched him for a moment before turning her face back up to the stars. "You always seem so sure of yourself, and I just feel like I'm going to make a mess of everything."

Inuyasha had a feeling that there was more to it than that, but he let it pass for the moment. 'I'll find out for sure what else this is about later,' he thought to himself. As he watched wispy clouds cover the moon, the light filtered down onto her as she stood there on the hill. The way she was staring up at the sky was as if she were giving her self up to the moon and the stars, as if in submission for their help. He walked the last of the distance between them and gently put an arm around her. "It's okay Kagome…we are all worried."

"Thanks," she whispered before leaning into his embrace, giving him a quick hug. She stepped back and looked up at him. "Would you stay with me for a bit?" Kagome asked, gazing at the ground, trying to hide the blush that was gracing her cheeks. Inuyasha pretends to take no notice.

"I guess I could," he shrugged as he sat on the grass and she moved down by him leaning into his warmth, he's arms wrapped protectively around her, pulling her close. They sat like that, looking up at the stars, until Inuyasha noticed that Kagome had drifted off to sleep. He smiled as he looked down on her peaceful dozing. Carefully, he lifted her into his arms, savouring the silky feel of her kimono on his hands, and carried her back to the hut. She curled into him as he walked, a content sigh escaping her lips. Moving the covering aside from the door he stepped inside the darkness of the hut. He paused as his eyes adjusted to the lack of light and the forms of their comrades took shape. He lightly stepped over them before he set her down on her bedroll and pulled the blanket up over her. He brushed a strand of her hair, which looked the colour of dying embers in the dull light, out of her face, and leaned over her placing a soft kiss to her forehead.

He drew back, standing. Admiring her a moment longer, he thought 'Sleep well,' before slipped back out of the hut.

The next morning everyone gathered up their stuff to leave, but before they did, Kaede stopped them. "Inuyasha, come here. I have something for ye."

He gave her a puzzled look before walking over. "Well hurry up…we don't have all day to mope around here," he said, sounding more like his normal self.

She brushed off his comments as she held the sword up to him. "Take this," she told him. He looked at it, warily, for a moment before accepting it. Its sheath was covered with smooth, supple leather; the grip was a similar cut, but a rougher grain. The sword itself seemed to be well balanced, as he freed it of its sheath, the thin, lightly curved blade glinting in the sun.

"Why are you giving me this?" he queried, as he examined the new blade before him.

"It was to be Kagome's…but ye will need it more than she."

He simply nodded, letting the small reminder of the state he and Kagome found themselves in flitter through his mind. The others looked on as they waited. Kagome taking a moment, looking down at Tetsusaiga, currently strapped to her hip, silently she cursed herself for letting Naraku get the better of her. 'I will get back at Naraku and give Inuyasha back his demon powers.' She vowed as he started to walk back to the others, placing the new sword at his side as he did.

Their goal set, they headed off into the warm, sunny day to try and find Naraku and restore Kagome and Inuyasha.


End file.
